The Matrix: Underground
by Anime-Panda-Chan
Summary: A new organization has surfaced. They are The Underground, those who were born into the Matrix but know of the existance of the Matrix, and oppose the followers of Morpheus.
1. Prologue

The Underground

Story Form By Panda (altered)

Originally by Nate Docken

Disclaimer I do not own the Matrix, I didn't write it, film it, or have anything to do with the movie (perhaps besides buying it and writing a insignificant fanfiction on it).

Note: I know this site does not allow an author's note to be a chapter (which I believe it BULLSHIT because if I have this big ol' note in the first chapter, it just makes the story look terrible!), so I have included it into the Prologue, but seperated it.

First off, this was originally in script form by Nate Docken (someone I know and talk to every single day, not just some random stranger) and he had planned to make it into a hand-made film. On a low budget and being procastinating, he had not filmed it yet, but he had all the actors and most of the props. This is his project for school.

This fictional story is also a project, but it is mine. I wrote the story but he wrote the plot and dialogue, although I did change some things and added a few things. He was OK with this, and I DID NOT steal it from him. He decided it was nice because some people like reading in story form and this had much more visuals (which is important).

What I want to accomplish from posting this here is to get more feedback because it is what I need to improve the story and make it look nice. It is required in the grading rubric.

Some more junk info:

Here are the characters and who is acting them!

Apollo/Phoenix - Nate Docken

Kazna - Zak Guiosky

Iris - Shei Farrabi-Iverson

Kalia - Panda Osaki (me)

Koe - Jay (Originally Ben Weiss)

Prometheus - Forest Seaburg-Wood

Sinis - Alex Fukui

Robinson - Casey Robinson

Norton - Trent Ewing

Notes on the chapters: I have read over it only about twice of each chapter. I will read it again once it is posted... but chapter 7 is under construction because it has not exactly been completely written yet. I know it's a special chapter and not just another random fight like the others (which I had made up most of the fights) so I am waiting on Nate's procastination to come to a pause so I may get a decent reply. And unfortunately, his computer had died... and he is procastinating on fixing that as well.

Also... a note that Nate had made earlier when only about 3 chapters were written, he commented that it seemed it was based around Kalia. True that I play Kalia's role (and I know her character more than any of the other ones) and he hasn't commented since but I would like to know if it does seem off balance of each character and their roles. Does it seem to revolve around Kalia? Or the main characters, Phoenix/Apollo and Kazna?

From my writing history, I love to write romance, and even though it was not highly detailed in the script about Kalia/Phoenix-Apollo or Iris/Kazna's relationships, I wrote added them each at least a small section of a chapter or a whole chapter. I believe it is bold and boring if those parts were unincluded in the story :)

Also, the Epilogue is divided into three parts. Do not think that they are one chapter! I am still trying to figure out how to make it so it sounds like a good ending (any ideas?). It is just information for now about the sequel.

And... TBC means to be continued.

I believe that is all I have to say, thank you for reading and please enjoy.

PRELUDE:

The time is the year two-thousand. The One known as Neo has just realized his powers of control over the Matrix and his faith in Morpheus never stronger. A few months after their amazing accomplishments, a new organization was founded inside the Matrix, known only as the Underground. This new organization was founded by a man named Sinis, and with their motives unknown to Morpheus, caused some uneasy tension between the two factions.

Soon, some of those who followed the same beliefs that Morpheus shared were beginning to die. Sinis sent one warning to Morpheus, and that stated that Morpheus and those who follow him should cease their activity in freeing the minds of those in the Matrix and their reasons for such a demand befuddled Morpheus. Their logical explanation for their cause was to either die in the Matrix by the Agents or to die in the real world, by defending a dying city against a fierce horde of seemingly never ending killing machines.

The Underground is made up of people who were born into the Matrix, who understand what is going on outside of the Matrix, but also have the knowledge to manipulate the Matrix just as those who have feed their minds can. They are able to manipulate the Matrix because they keep in their minds the constant idea that the Matrix is not a real world and therefore, they can bend the rules. One of the newest members of the Underground who has shown amazing potential in the bending of the rules inside of the Matrix is known as Apollo, who was named that by Sinis to represent the light of God that has been sent to him for the Underground's benefit.

Apollo began to grow in body and mind, and soon began to question his very own existence. He imagined that he was only taught the information about the Matrix and the war and the real world and his beliefs by Sinis just in order to eliminate the Prophets and gain power. Soon after his thoughts of this, he began to become convinced that he existed for only those purposes and he became interested in how much power he can gain. By joining the obviously superior Underground, he could use them as stepping stones to further the limits of his power. He killed or sometimes disabled any Prophet he could see. He became obsessed with his validation for life and soon stood up against an agent who had come to eliminate him. He fought well, but in the end, he perished. His dying thoughts were how much of a mistake he made, wanting power by force, and he realized that power comes with patience, and time...

Prologue: Resurrection

The rain constantly poured heavily. The two men could barely see eachother, both soaked down to their skin. The man on the ground lifted his head. Water blurred his vision and his hair was a messy black mass over his face. The other man stood infront of him, emotionless.

Suddenly, his face twisted into fury. "Why do you continue to fight? Why will you not accept death?" he snarled.

The man on the ground shifted his rain filled eyes from the man's dress shoes, all the way up his suit to his face. _They're all the same._ he thought. _Every single one of them..._

"I won't die like this..." he murmured under his breath.

"What?" the man standing glared down at him.

"I can't!" he shouted. "I wanted power..."

Laughter. It rung though his ears like a bell, over and over again. It suddenly stopped.

"Then let this be a lesson to you." the man drew a gun from his suit pocket. The man on the ground looked frightened. His eyes widened and he tried to move but...

"Your time is up."

...Gunfire. It was almost slow motion for him as it shot through his heart. He fell back, his blood spilling into the rain and reaching the drains on the side. He closed his eyes as the rain pushed the hair from his face.

_The sky is crying._ he thought. _Power... it was something I wanted... what I craved in life. It kept my alive. Why would it end now?..._

_No... it hasn't ended yet!... I will not let my mistakes leave me to rot!_

He opened his eyes to slits and saw his killer staring down at him. His eyes became heavier as time passed, and his blinking stopped. His last sight was of his grinning killer.

"Still, only human." he flipped his sunglasses from his jacket pocket and put them on while walking the other direction. He left his prey to die in peace.

_I have to help him..._ Kalia weakly jogged, out of breath and exhausted. She slowed down, but sped up quickly again. _I cannot let him die!_

She stopped. Her face became pale and widened in shock. She stared at the body lying ahead of her.

"Apollo... Apollo?" she cried, dropping her umbrella and running to her love. She skidded her knees against the sidewalk, ignoring the scratches. She felt his pale frozen face.

"Why..." she lightly slapped his cheek. Nothing.

"Why..." she felt for a pulse. Nothing.

"Why did you have to die!" her soft voice squeaked. "You were our only hope..." she hung her head down onto his chest and cried as the rain began to die down. _I couldn't save you!..._

_Someone's crying._ Was it the sky? _No..._

Apollo's eyes flicked open slowly. He lied there, staring at the grey skies. Then looked down at the crying woman over his chest. He began to sit up.

"...A...Apollo?" her crying paused suddenly. His gunshot wound was completely gone. "You were..."

"Apollo?" he turned his head towards her and stared blankly. "No... not anymore."

"...What?" she whispered, confused.

"Apollo died... along with his mistakes." he stood up and faced away from her. The sun peeked out from the clouds onto him. He shined, almost blindingly. "I am Phoenix now... Reborn, and I will do everything in my new power to help the Underground."

He walked away, not turning back. He left Kalia watching in shock.

TBC


	2. Chapter 1

The Underground

Story Form By Panda (altered)

Originally by Nate Docken

Chapter 1: Negotiation

A man walked through an empty wide hallway with Japanese style sliding doors. The bokens hitting each other echoed through the hallway, getting louder as he got closer to his destination. He stopped where the bokens were the loudest and pulled the door aside.

Phoenix, dressed in white, faced his opponent who was dressed in black, Koe. They both turned their heads, still in position to fight.

"You two, everyone's here." said the man. "Let's get this over with."

About twenty people crowded around a metal oval table, most standing, some sitting. The room wasn't small, but it was quite ratty looking and dusty. There were narrow racks of old torn clothes and stacked boxed around the room.

"Okay... let this meeting of the Underground captains commence." said Koe, who was sitting in where everyone could see him. "The date is..." he glanced at his watch. "The fifth of May, of the year two-thousand. If anyone has any apologies of why they couldn't attend the last meeting, blah blah blah, you all know what I'm going to say. And for the love of god! We're inside! Take those shades off!"

Everyone looked at each other confused for a moment before taking them off.

"Thank you..." he took a deep breath. "Okay, now, does anyone have anything to kick off this meeting before item one on the list?"

"Yes." said Phoenix. Everyone turned their heads towards him. It hadn't been too long since Apollo had been resurrected. Some whispered to each other, Phoenix completely ignoring it. Kalia watched him from the side of the doorway. Her hand was in her giant grey hoodie pocket, clutching what kept her comfortable. Though she rarely used that gun, she wasn't there to kill anyone. She thought back to the time of Apollo's death.

Flashback

At the time, she was sitting in a park feeding birds that flocked around her. She was resting peacefully, thinking about recent happenings.

A phone ringing. It was her phone, how silly. She answered.

_"Kalia!"_ it was Koe.

_"What? What's wrong?"_ she asked.

_"Apollo's in danger,"_ he said._ "I was talking to him on the phone when it disconnected... it wasn't clear what he said but I definitely heard an Agent."_

_"What?..."_ she whispered.

_"You're the closest to him!"_ he paused. _"...and I know you'd do anything to protect him, so go. He told me he was on the edge of the suburbs, that's several blocks South of the park you're at."_

Kalia didn't reply.

_"Be careful."_ he said and hung up, knowing she would do what she had to do.

She turned towards the hills of houses South of the park. She had a grim feeling about it, but ran. Ran as fast as she could.

"Representative to Sinis." Phoenix continued. Kalia snapped out from daydreaming. "I would like to announce that the Prophets are gaining more and more followers. If we are to continue to exist, we need to spread out, find more people, and begin encountering these Prophets before our organization is laid to waste."

"I agree." Koe nodded. "I have heard from Sinis that a plan is being made to that cause, however for the present time. We need to strike harder and faster. And that plan, in part, will be revealed to you all today." he turned to Kalia. "Kalia, please show our guests in."

She stepped out of the room. She felt slightly nervous about bringing inside the guests. Not only for who they were but for what the others would think. She thought they might think _she_ brought them, but she was confident in Koe's plans.

She returned back into the room, followed by two Agents. Upon seeing the Agents, everyone in the room except Koe, jumped up or took a step back and pointed their guns at the two. Kalia, frightened since she was in front of the Agents, covered herself with her gigantic hoodie sleeves and crouched down trembling. The Agents, however, did not move or react.

"Everyone, calm down!" Koe yelled upon seeing Kalia.

"Koe! Why have you led Agents to this area?" Phoenix growled. "This is outrageous!"

"Our guests, Agents McAfee and Norton are here at the request of our leader, Sinis." he said. "Now if you would all holster your weapons for the present moment and please chill out." he motioned the two to two reserved chairs at the table. "Gentlemen, please, have a seat."

The Underground seemed restless and anxious. The two Agents walked past Kalia, who was still crouched down, and sat down stiffly on the chairs. Koe looked around, pleased.

"Good," he knitted his hands together on the table. "That's a start. Now for the love of god, guys! We're freaking, inside! Take off the shades! Seriously, everyone: glasses off!" he banged the table, making half the room jump.

The remaining people, including the Agents, hesitantly took off their sunglasses.

Koe shook his head. "What is it with these people and their sunglasses?" he asked himself under his breath.

"Now Koe..." someone from the back of the room said. "Would you please tell us why there are two Agents sitting blatantly in our midst and also to the reason of why we have not all been killed yet?"

"Yes, please." said Agent Norton with a mocking smile, also knitting his fingers on the table. "Enlighten us."

The other in the room seemed to mutter agreeing.

"I would be more than happy to." Koe began. "While we, the Underground, disapprove of the actions and control of the Agents, Sinis and I both realize that the only reason they exist is to...solve...the problems that come up in the Matrix; rogue programs and freed minds. If the Prophets didn't exist, neither would the Agents, or at least on an active level in our lives." he glanced at the Agents. "And while we dislike the Agent's power and presence, we despise the prophets even more; they're freeing minds to fight the system that sustains the human race, freeing minds to fight a war against a vastly superior machine race that we have no hope of winning.

"So our position—Agents, pay attention now—is that we, the members of the Underground, are enlightened minds, as opposed to a freed mind. We are still plugged into the matrix, but we know the secrets of the real world's existence, and therefore, we also have some control of what some might consider 'supernatural powers' over what we perceive as reality. With mental training, we can see that the matrix is not really real, and therefore can use the same expanded abilities of speed, force, dexterity, etc. that trained Prophets have control over. The big difference, though, is that once the Prophets are destroyed completely, both within the matrix and out, we will submit to the Matrix and have our minds wiped. We, too, think that we are acting in the best interest of all of humanity. But once humanity is safely back in the… limbs of the machines, we will go back to our humble places and dream the dreams you give us.

"So," said Agent McAfee. "You are proposing... what, exactly?"

"A truce, of sorts." said Koe. "You don't attack us, we don't attack you. We each know the other's ideology and purposes. You know of our intentions to destroy Neo and Morpheus and the other prophets and help return the Matrix to harmony. And in return for helping you and the Matrix, when all is said and done, we go back to our old lives, unknowing of the real world."

The Underground chatted quietly amongst each other, some looking confused and some obviously liking the plan like Phoenix. The Agents looked at each other briefly, sharing a silent psychic conversation and communing with the Matrix control.

"It is agreed." said Agent Norton. "But.. how do we know this... 'Enlightened Mind' concept will never happen again?"

"I cannot guarantee that something like this will never happen again... hell, I don't even know how it happened in the first place." he chuckled. "But here we are. If it should happen again, you have my deepest condolences and I hope you work something out at that point in time." he picked up his papers and straitened them. "I am glad to hear of this truce, and if no one has anything else, I would consider this meeting adjourned so I may return back to Sinis and deliver this freakin' lovely report!" he slammed a big folder filled with paper on the table.

"I have one question about this whole deal." said Phoenix. Everyone turned to him again. "Will we actually be working _work_ the Agents... or it this just a truce between our two factions?"

Everyone, including the Agents, turned to Koe.

"We'll see how things develop." he replied.

The whole room was silent for a moment.

"Well then, Gentlemen..." Koe suddenly said. "Thank you for coming, and I look forward to what the future brings."

The Agents nodded stiffly. The Agents stood up and headed towards the door, but Agent Norton stopped next to Phoenix momentarily.

"I remember you." he said to Phoenix, and left, followed by the chattering Underground. Phoenix stayed behind, turning his head towards Koe. Although he was more content with the deal, he was still slightly confused and had a question for Koe. Kalia walked slowly behind the crowd, seeking for a single glance from him. He hadn't even looked at her since he came back to life that day... Disappointingly, she got none.

She walked outside the door, but hid to the side to listen in.

When everyone was gone, Phoenix had still continued to stare at Koe, obviously wanting his attention. "Why was I not told of this?" he asked.

"Sinis wanted to see how you would react," he chuckled. "Not because he doesn't trust you, but he thinks that not everyone needs to know everything. Even I don't know all of this plans." he saw him slightly irritated. "...And I can tell that you are discontented with this development. I can offer nothing else other than asking you to relax... Y'know, I hate being with you when you were like this, either Apollo or Phoenix.

Phoenix suddenly pushed a chair aside across the room. He spun around and headed towards the doorway.

"Oh, and Phoenix?" said Koe, hoping to stop him momentarily. He didn't turn around, but he did stop. "You be careful out there."

He then turned around, grinning, then left. He only saw Kalia from the corner of his eye but didn't look at her. She stood frozen, not expecting him to come out so soon. She felt even worse from the fact that she was right next to him and he didn't notice her. She turned the other direction and left, feeling miserable.

_That woman._ he thought as he walked away silently. He did notice she was around him most of the time, but he didn't care. His main goal in life was to eliminate the Prophets, even if it meant shutting other unimportant but curious things out. When he got out of the building, he stopped at the door. He looked up at the second floor where the meeting had been held, then walked away.

Koe leaned back in his chair and set his feet on the table, his hands knit in his lap. He looked pleased with himself.

"Did you get all of that, spying prophet?" he said, pulling his gun out and pointing it towards the shadows. As he fired a few shots, there was a excrutiated scream and a figure ran out of the room. Koe grabbed his sword from the table and chased after the infiltrator.

He chased the person all the way downstairs into the back. They mazed through alleyways until they came to a stop at an empty area surrounded by trees and a brick wall. As he emerged from the bushes, a man stood in the middle of the area with a pistol. When he heard it fire, he cut the bullet in half, deflecting it and all other bullets.

His face grinned in amusement as he ran out of bullets. "Looks like I may have underestimated the Underground by a bit." he said, tossing aside the gun.

TBC


	3. Chapter 2

The Underground

Story Form By Panda (altered)

Originally by Nate Docken

Chapter 2: Caution

"How did you find us, Prophet?" Koe spat.

"Followed the Agents..." the man shrugged. "I'm rather surprised you didn't suspect us earlier, or if you did, didn't call upon the help of your friend Apollo."

"That's Phoenix to you. He has better things to do rather than to waste his time fighting small prophet scum!" Koe grasped the hilt of his sword at his waist.

"Ah... yes. _Phoenix._ How could I forget..." he said, almost mockingly. He began walking around Koe. "_Phoenix._ The man who cheated death..." he said calmly. "...and casted death upon Prometheus..." he breathed. "...Be well aware as you die that your friend shall not have long to live, and you shall suffer for what you did to Iris."

Koe glanced at the woman bleeding on the other end of the area. She was very beautiful with an elegant black China dress with small red flowers. She looked Persian with a natural tan and thick wavy brown hair. He shifted his eyes back onto the man and sighed.

"Prophet, I grow tired of the chit-chat." he drew his sword with a questioning, but daring look. "Shall we dance?"

"Kazna, be careful-" Iris said, but saw him not listening.

Kazna growled in rage. He slipped off his short cut jacket and threw it aside. "You _will_ die!" he charged after Koe while unsheathing his sword on his back and bringing it down onto him vertically.

Koe blocked the attack, throwing off the sword and returning the attack with a horizontal slice. He bent back barely dodging the blade. He straitened and attacks vertically again but as Koe began to block, he attempted to kick his knee. He stepped aside to block both attacks, making Kazna stumble. Koe charged in, bringing his sword to his side and attempting to cut his side. He parried, bringing Koe around him. Koe attempted to horizontally attack but he blocked it. He suddenly brought up his knee into his stomach, causing Kazna to hunch over in pain. Koe then brought his sword down over him but he rolled to the side and recuperated.

"You're pretty good." Kazna said, panting hard.

"You would have to be if one is the representative to a leader of an organization, now wouldn't they?" Koe threw a knife at Kazna. He quickly dodged it, but didn't have the chance to notice him right up to his face when he turned back.

Koe knocked the sword out of his hand and swiftly raised the sword for a vertical attack. Kazna caught it between his hands, trying carefully not to cut himself.

"You will die by my hands! For the sake of Iris!" he growled.

"Correction!" Koe sneered. "_You_ will die, bleeding in a ditch you son of a bitch!" he twisted the blade and pulled it out, cutting deeply into Kazna's hands. Kazna backed away. He brought his hand to his face and licked the blood tauntingly. He prepared to fight Koe unarmed. Koe sheathed his sword and tossed it aside, engaging into an unarmed fight.

Kazna charged in with a punch to the face, but Koe knocked his fist away. He threw a fist at his stomach but Kazna stopped himself before he fell onto it. The fight lasted several minutes, consisting mostly of blocking each other's attacks. They hadn't hit each other yet.

Suddenly Koe grabbed the coming fist and thrusted it down and punched his jaw upwards, making him stumble and fall backwards. He then picked up his sword and pointed it at Kazna's throat, who was bleeding from the mouth.

Koe chuckled. "Such a shame..." he said. "You're a good fighter... but you must die!"

"You're the one who will die you bastard!" was the last thing he heard before his senses started numbing. He felt the knife penetrate through his throat, blood rushed through his esophagus. He unknowingly choked and fell onto the ground on his back. His eyelids became heavier as time passed, almost slowly. Everything became slow in his vision, and the last thing he saw was Iris, holding her bleeding shoulder and a knife in the other hand.

"Iris..!" Kazna was surprised she could walk. "Are you all right?"

"Yes..." she said, her normal voice so smooth, fitting her personality. "I should be fine. Let's leave, we must inform the others about this."

Kazna nodded, both turning away from Koe's lifeless body and heading a different direction.

TBC


	4. Chapter 3

The Underground

Story Form By Panda (altered)

Originally by Nate Docken

Chapter 3: The Double Revenge

It rained lightly, as the clouds were also light and fluffy. The whole Underground crowded around a single grave. Koe's sword was stabbed in the fresh ground where he was buried. It was completely silent but for the pitter-patter of the rain. Not a single sob was heard because everyone, no matter how much their heart compelled them to, held back their cries because they knew that was what he would have wanted to see from them.

"And thus, we bury one of the best and secretaries of the Underground could ever have had." said Sinis, the leader of the Underground.

Kalia, on the other hand, was fragile and cried quietly. "...I'm pretty sure Koe would not have appreciated being called a 'secretary'..." she said quietly that only Sinis and a few people nearby could hear.

"Kalia, I grieve along with everyone for the death of Koe, but we must not let formalities cloud our honest nature." he smiled, patting her head. "While Koe is indeed, in the endless slumber of peaceful nothingness, he would be the one to make sure everyone would keep their honor and remain honest no matter how grim the situation, my poor girl. He had performed his duties with minor amounts of callousness, but mostly with the enthusiasm that he had ever since he joined out proud organization. If he were alive this moment, I would be sure of two things..." he circled slowly around his grave. "One would be that he would not be in this area and instead at the office filing endless amounts of paperwork, which is not _unlike_ a secretarial job... and two, he would fight once again until his last breath had been forced out of him, as he did in his fight against those one's that follow Morpheus and Neo. I am also sure of one more thing, my friend..." he had returned near Kalia.

"What would that be?" she asked.

"He would regret nothing." he smiled to everyone, seeing several brightened faces.

"Yeah..." she murmured. "But he'd still not appreciate being called a 'secretary'..."

"I am only humbly fulfilling the duties of a friend, my poor girl." he walked over to Phoenix. He stared down at the sword, emotionless. "I am sure that this is quite a shock to you. He was a dear friend of yours, am I wrong?"

"Why didn't he call for me..." he asked quietly, almost if he was speaking to himself. "Surely, he must have realized that these plans should not have been revealed to any Prophet..."

"Have you gone senselessly blind?" Sinis slapped his forehead, causing him to jump back. It seemed like forever since he had been smacked on the forehead by his mentor. "Koe died of a slit throat. The one who killed him was not the one he was fighting."

Phoenix stared at him spectically. "What does this conclude?"

"Koe fought not one, but two." Sinis said, stoking his chin. "The one who killed him was not the one he was fighting."

Phoenix growled in the back of his throat. "The Prophets _will_ pay for the life of Koe with their blood..." he scowled.

"Be calm, my boy. This is what they want you to do..." he grinned at the sight of Phoenix's confusion. "...to unwittingly charge into an affair you cannot handle."

"My powers are ten-fold of what theirs is!" he growled.

"You know, Apollo said that once too." Sinis smiled at Phoenix's stunned look. "You're falling back into old habits again... perhaps because a part of Apollo still lives on inside you. Do not let your past demons uproot your delicate grasp on reality, or in terms of the Matrix, false reality."

Phoenix nodded, looking back at the grave. "You are right. I will train harder and continue with the orders that are given to me."

"Good man!" Sinis put a hand on his shoulder. "Now, take your time, as I know how this will affect you. I suggest you make your way to the garden and you train your mind. Expand it, dig deep into the nature of the world and expand your already trained thoughts to not think, but to know."

"I will make my way there shortly." he said. Kalia's head lifted. "But I would like to stay a while longer."

"That is understandable." Sinis nodded. "I, however, must be off. This place does not suit a person of my magnificent stature, and Koe would understand that... Thus, I bid you _all_ a good day."

An opening was made for him to get through the massive crowd. People on the outside began to separate, heading off onto their own business and work once again. Although it seemed there were too many to have the heart for Koe's time, he would never be forgotten, even after death and life again.

A small remaining ring surrounded the grave still, and over time, one by one everyone left. All until there were three people remaining.

"Kalia, I'm going to leave." said Arina, a friend. She didn't have many friends, seeing how she barely talked. "Call me sometime tomarrow, maybe we can go out for lunch." she left.

Kalia watched her leave until her eyes drifted to the last person, Phoenix. He hadn't looked away from the sword since Sinis had left. It almost scarred her to see him in such silent grief.

She decided to leave too, knowing he needed a moment to speak to his lost friend. She turned to walk away, but stopped beside him, facing the opposite direction from him.

"What's done is done." she said quietly, but in the silence, he could hear. "...The past in unchangable, you know." she turned to look at him. "I know exactly how that feels."

She walked away, saying nothing more.

Phoenix scowled. Not because of her words, but because he had felt enraged ever since he had gotten the news. He was mad because he thought Koe was being careless. He was mad because his worst enemies had killed him. He was mad because he let himself drown in grief at that moment. He sat, or more so fell. Fell into a river of constant misery and despair, leaving him suffering tears out.

TBC


	5. Chapter 4

The Underground

Story Form By Panda (altered)

Originally by Nate Docken

Chapter 4: Devotion

Later after Koe's death...

Iris dragged Kazna into a small, run down building. A ringing phone was in the next room.

"Kazna! Please hurry! We must return quickly..." said Iris who was having a hard time getting him to move. "...we know nothing of their intentions... they may have sent men after us by now! Please come, we have to inform the Prophets for the sake of their existence-"

"To hell with the Prophets!" he roared, yanking his arm back to himself. "My patience wears thin..." he hissed. His face twisted, making him look terrifyingly evil, even to Iris. "...my hands... they _crave_ for Apollo's blood!"

Iris felt hurt. "Kazna! Cease this meaningless hunt! The end justifies the means... and our organization depends on this information! We must-"

"I don't give a _fuck_ about the organization anymore, or of this shitty information!" he yelled. "I did not follow those Agents to the Underground's meeting, _just_ to obtain some 'information'! I wanted a clear shot at Apollo... information of him would have been much better!"

Iris felt heartbroken. "Why, Kazna? Why are you so obsessed about avenging Prometheus?"

With one swift motion, he clutched her throat. Shocked stricken and having difficulties breathing, she began to cry, whispering something softly inaudible to Kazna.

"Don't _ever_, say that name around me again." he released her. She fell back coughing. She pitifully sat on the cold stone floor, tears welling up and streaming down her cheeks.

"Why..." she whimpered. She remembered the days when they would never fight. She had never seen this side of him until recently... right after Prometheus was killed.

_"I love you, Iris. You're the most important person to me."_ he had once said.

"Why..?" she sobbed.

_"Let's go out and eat. In the Matrix... even though it's not real, but it makes ya miss the old days, huh? Haha..."_ their first date.

"Why do you temper our love for each other just to partake in some silly hunt!" she cried.

Kazna said nothing.

_"I'm sorry for yelling, Iris... please forgive me, I lose my temper sometimes... Please don't be sad."_ he had always tried to cheer her up, and apologized every time he got angry. _"Do you want to go out for cake?... I know you love cake. Come on, I'll take you to your favorite place... please? For me? I want cake too!"_

"...do you care more about your teacher than you do about me?..." she asked, searching for him deeply in his eyes.

_"I love you, Iris. I'll protect you with my life! And we'll end this war side by side."_

"Do you?" she almost yelled.

Kazna stared at her. He was unreadable, but his cold eyes left her unspeakable. He turned around.

"Don't walk away from me now..." she cried feeling rejected. "_Answer me!_"

"Do you really want to hear the truth, Iris?" he said, cold-heartedly. Even though they both knew she would regret it, she nodded.

"... Yes. She was a sister to me... a sister taken away from me." Kazna watched her cry louder. "She taught me everything, Iris. She gave me meaning... a purpose. She helped me when I questioned my existence in the Real World. She gave me hope."

Her crying died down slowly. "...She died honorably, Kazna."

"Not by that man..." he looked enraged once again. "... she was the master of swordplay, yet he obliterated her with the most ease... she deserved better. Far better."

"...There was nothing you could do." she whispered.

"Be that as it may, I should have done something..." he stared off. "... it was a long suffering torture, Iris. You would never know how I had felt that day... I watched her _die..._ and I didn't do a thing."

"So you put your revenge in front of everything?" she asked in disbelief. "Even the Prophets?" she paused. "... our love?"

Kazna turned to her, giving her a soft serious look. "I love you more than what I show, but this is the path I have chosen. When you reach that fork in the road, you have no time to hesitate. Pick either one of the other..." he said. "My hands are inches away from the enemy, and I must choose the path that is the longest, but will get me closer to it. I know I will not regret that decision."

"I will choose the road you choose, Kazna." Iris said. Her weeping had come to an end upon feeling slightly better. To death, even if it meant by her love's hands, she would be by his side.

Kazna smiled. "My vengeance is nearly complete... With the death of Koe, Apollo will soon come for me..." he offered her a hand up. She stood, embracing him closely. "We shall wait..."

"...Together." Iris added, smiling happily. They both stood there holding each other, ignoring the ringing phone in the next room.

TBC


	6. Chapter 5

The Underground

Story Form By Panda (altered)

Originally by Nate Docken

Chapter 5: The Meddler

"Hm..." Robinson thought for a moment. The two were walking though a fairly empty area of town.

"What is the matter?" Norton asked, turning his head stiffly towards him.

"I am curious to what would happen if the Underground should fail..." he replied, murmuring. "What if they are obliterated?"

"It is not a good idea, and they pose no immediate threat..." Norton paused, thinking. "If they can assist in eliminating the rouges, then it will only benefit us in the end. Even if they should fail, we shall prevail eventually."

"I am also intrigued by the one known as Phoenix..."

"Why is that?"

"I killed him..." Robinson thought back to that moment. "...I watched him die ad the bullet tore though his body. You saw his body as well as I did... and yet, he still walks."

"Hmm... that is intriguing. One with a mind so powerful he can escape death..." Norton had a pleasing look, as if he was a scientist making a great new discovery. "...He may compare with the one who defeated Smith."

"He may prove to be a very powerful ally..." Robinson turned to Norton, grinning meaninglessly.

"He indeed may... and if he should die once more..."

"Let us report this."

Sinis sat in his large office at a crummy desk in the back corner, his feet resting on the desk. He held a cane in one hand and a play book in the other. He smiled cheerfully, enjoying play literature like one of the finest things in life. He was so into the book he hadn't notice Kazna had walked in.

"Sinis..." he said. "Am I wrong?"

"Oh?" Sinis turned his head to the side, looking past the book. "Myes... you presume correctly, but you may be wrong about other things. No one really knows."

"I can already tell you're going to ramble on..." he growled.

"To ramble causes intelligent conversation, but only when the rambler ceases to ramble."

"Then try not to ramble!" Kazna scowled.

"I haven't finished yet." Sinis shot him a mocking look.

"Sorry for _interrupting_."

"We interrupt because we are impatient in our search."

"You know more than you show."

Sinis chuckled. "I may show many things, especially my unmatched masculinity, but that's a story for another time."

"Where is he?" Kazna demanded to know.

"I know not such informatio-"

"Bullshit."

"No, an utter lie, not excrement from a male cow." Sinis grinned.

"Do you know how much you annoy me?"

"I believe I have the freedom to, as you came in un-welcomed into my humble abode." he looked around his office, indicating it was his.

"Tell me where he is, or you will die."

"You seek revenge on Phoenix... Why?"

"He killed my master in cold blood." Kazna growled.

"Then your vengeance is well founded, though vengeance is never the act of a decent human being."

"No human being exists in the Matrix."

"True, true..." Sinis chuckled again. "However, we live by the same conducts of morality and ethics that we would have in the real world."

"Then I am not a decent human being. _Where is he?_" he demanded to know. His patience was wearing thin quickly with this man who's mission was to touch every nerve of him. His hands began to twitch restlessly.

"Have you ever read this play?" Sinis held up the book he was reading. "It's a fascinating story, and quite humorous."

"I have no love for literature."

"Oh, of course not, how silly of me. You focus your time for seeking vengeance on an old cliché of a reason." he smiled innocently. "It is quite surprising how similar in comparison you are to Apollo."

"Don't compare me with that monster!" he snarled.

"Usually, the reasons that we hate someone are usually linked to bits and pieces of our own personalities in that person." Sinis pointed out. "This was pointed out by an author named Hermann Hesse, although it is almost certain that he was not the only one to discover this."

"He is nothing like me."

"Yes," he sighed. "And no, but I digress. You wish to know his whereabouts?"

"Of course."

Sinis closed his book and pulled out a sheet of paper from his desk. He wrote something on it, folded it nicely and slipped it into his pocket. "Come then." he stood, smiling. He was well assured about the outcome of that battle. "Kill me, and find out where he may be lurking."

"What's the catch?"

"No catch. It's very simple, is it not?"

"It seems too good to be true." Kazna grinned, slipping off his jacket and throwing it aside.

"Of course, that is if you beat me." Sinis pulled his cane before him, leaning on it lightly.

"You're just throwing away your men, aren't ya'?"

"No, but you may be able to fulfill what you came for." he shrugged.

"You tell only facts, how amusing..." Kazna reached back and grasped the hilt of his sword. "Shall we begin?"

Sinis lifted his cane and spun it around several times. He ended by pointing the handle at his opponent. "After you."

Kazna swiftly drew his sword, running after him with pleasure. He would finally kill the man who prodded at every nerve in him, and he would torture Sinis as he did to him.

He attacked horizontally, lugging around the sword to catch this tall scrawny man. It made him quick to dodge, jumping back until he was pressed against his own desk. He jumped up on his desk before Kazna's vertical attack could slice him in half. His sword caught onto the wooden desk for a moment, but that moment was essential to Sinis's move. He front flipped, using Kazna's shoulder to guide him.

"Damn it-" Kazna roared in frustration. He howled as something sharp shot through his shoulder. He winced and his face scrunched but peeked at his shoulder. A thin blade. He was puzzled at where the blade had come from. It was yanked out and he spun around before he was poked again.

Sinis had thrown aside the sheath of his cane. He stood up strait with one hand behind him and the other pointing his cane sword. Kazna pulled his sword out, and in the same movement he knocked aside the blade and swung horizontally once again. Sinis jumped back, but it had torn his pink shirt.

"Oh no! My favorite shirt..." he gasped. "Ohh... why did I wear this today!" he continued to jump back from Kazna's horizontal and vertical attacks. When he reached the wall, Kazna thrusted his sword forward. Sinis moved quickly aside, dodging it but his long jacket had gotten caught to the wall with the sword.

"Oh dear... my jacket..." he pulled, but when it wouldn't budge, he spun out of it. He revealed his fluffy pink shirt. It was frilly in the front with puffy sleeves and long flowy cuffs.

"Why don't you stop running?" his lips twisted upward at the corners, revealing a deadly grin.

"Perhaps I may." Sinis charged after him, swiftly swinging the light weight sword around. Kazna had a hard time dodging and just as it seemed too late to move, his reflex saved him by blocking it with his sword.

He knocked the sword away again and swung up, then vertically after missing. He missed again, furiously swinging his sword vertically again. Sinis dodged by bending back and got up again with a cartwheel. There was a distance between them now.

Kazna breathed hard, taking that moment to rest but kept alert. Sinis continued being relaxed. He suddenly bolted after him. Kazna prepared to block the frontal attack with his sword. When Sinis suddenly moved into the corner of his eye, he didn't have time to think. His leg collapsed at his calf was stabbed.

He held back from screaming and winced. Right after the blade was pulled out, he clutched it with his free hand. Blood seeped through his fingers.

"Painful isn't it?" Sinis looked at him sympathetically. "I know I've had a few accidents with this thing. It's almost like being cut by a razor, but more painful."

"You bastard." Kazna breathed, and unexpectedly jumped up and thrusted his sword forward. It was half aimless, but he had gotten his thigh.

"AAH!" he shrieked and backed away, pulling the sword out. He too, clutched his thigh. He backed up and leaned on his desk, both resting momentarily.

Sinis made the first move, slashing vertically. When Kazna dodged, he continued to swing in random directions. He was too quick for him to notice that he had bumped into the wall. With no time to move, Sinis thrusted the blade at his head. Kazna moved aside it stabbed dead center of his ear.

"Fuck!" he stilled his head, but continued to squeak out in pain. He had dropped his sword.

Sinis sighed relaxingly. "Ah, well, I got you to hold still." he grinned, but was tired from losing blood, and moving quickly didn't help either.

"Fuck you." Kazna hissed.

"Life cannot go the way you always want it to." Sinis was beginning to tire quickly, but he kept his hold onto the cane.

Kazna continued to squirm in his spot, trying to figure a way out of it, but the pain almost blocked out his thoughts. He continued to growl. Sinis sighed and tried to relax.

Kazna suddenly bend down and held back from screaming as the blade tore through his ear. In the same motion, he picked up his sword and on his knees, he thrusted it forward, foolishly his eyes shut tight from the pain. When he didn't hear anything, he feared opening them.

He felt something trickle down his knuckles. It was cold...

"But things do happen, do they not?" Sinis said almost whispering. He opened his eyes to the sight of Sinis stabbed through his lung. Blood spilled almost non-stop, already pooling.

Sinis stepped back, wincing as the sword was pulled out, and fell onto his back. Kazna quickly snapped out of his shock that he actually hadn't missed and stood over him. He reached down to his pocket, but he stopped him by grabbing his wrist.

"Give up, you are defeated." Kazna scowled at his persistence.

"Not until death has completely consumed me." he breathed.

"Then it shall be done." Kazna lifted his sword over his chest, then thrusted it down. Sinis did not let out a single cry of pain, but with his last remaining bit of strength, he lightly slapped Kazna's forehead. He died with a grin stretched across his face.

For reasons he didn't understand, he didn't feel satisfied killing him. Perhaps it was his thin patience to claim Phoenix's life...

Kazna reached into his pocket and unfolded the piece of paper. Disappointingly enough, it was a stick figure drawing with it's tongue sticking out. He shredded it quickly and threw the bits at Sinis's lifeless body. He then walked over to his desk and tore it apart for some clue to where Phoenix was.

He pulled out a small crumpled post-it note, issued by Sinis to go to the warehouse where Prometheus was killed. A deadly grin stretched across his face, baring all his front teeth.

"You're mine." he snarled.

TBC


	7. Chapter 6

The Underground

Story Form By Panda (altered)

Originally by Nate Docken

Chapter 6: Awaken Revenge

Kalia was downstairs target practicing when she heard movement upstairs as she took off her ear muffs. It suddenly stopped but she jumped as something passed down her window. She ran to it, throwing off her ear muffs. She looked over the edge and saw Kazna running away. She grabbed a rifle from the nearest wall, aimed and fired.

Kazna was startled by the gunshot that was fired at him but felt lucky as it missed. He continued running but decided to move out of range when more shots were fired at him. He turned the corner of the building and waited for it to stop. When it had been a moment, he peeked around the corner to see who had been shooting.

"I hate moving targets..." she sighed. She noticed Kazna step out of the corner. He glared at her threateningly.

_I'll kill her later..._ he decided. His main priority now was Phoenix, now that he knew of his whereabouts. He grinned twistedly before turning around and running off once again.

Kalia frowned. "...Phoenix." she whispered to herself and ran out of the room.

Inside the warehouse, Phoenix fought a small group of three Prophets inside a large dusty and dark room with boxes of leftover junk. He threw them all back easily, killing one and severely injuring the other two to immobility. After he threw the last one back, he stood up strait and relaxed. He then shot a death glare over his shoulder towards the doorway.

Kazna became enraged as he began to remember so clearly of that day...

Flashback

At the time, he was still under Prometheus's wing. He wasn't yet ready to take on a battle, but secretly he followed Prometheus to that very warehouse, just as Phoenix... no, Apollo, asked.

"I'm here, Underground. State your business." Prometheus said coldly. The tone of voice, which Kazna had never heard from her, sent shivers of fear down his spine.

"Your demise." Apollo said coolly with a cat-like grin. "I care not for the Underground, I wish only to kill you... Is that too much to ask for?"

She laughed cruelly. "Oh, really? What inspired such harsh words?" she said, abruptly stopping.

"Rumors, here and there. I hear that you are a master of using the sword." he eyed the sword strapped loosely on her hip.

"I don't consider myself one... but if you say so, they perhaps I am." she said with a playful smile.

"Your existence as a Prophet should be reason enough to kill you, but I care not." he sneered. "It is just another reason to kill you. I will prove my power over you."

"I understand now." she drew her sword slowly. "Come, naive one, I shall show you a merciless death and end your insanity."

"Cocky, aren't we?" he tilted his head in sarcasm.

"You're nothing special." she did the same, mocking him.

"Your mistake would be to underestimate me."

"And your mistake is your thirst for power."

"I do not consider that a mistake." he frowned.

"Then draw your blade and I shall show you the way." she took a step forward.

"Hold!" he drew his pistol. "Throw your guns away."

"Fair enough." she sighed and threw aside the gun holstered at her thigh.

"Also..." he shot at the tall shelf near the door. It broke a wooden leg, causing a heavy load to pile up in front of the door. "I hate interruptions." he stared at the crack that remained in the door. He glared at Kazna's presence.

"You are paranoid." she crouched low, ready to attack.

"Not true, just wise to the ways of the world." he threw aside his pistol and drew his sword. "May death be with you."

Apollo swiftly charged in with a horizontal slash, which missed as Prometheus jumped back and attacked back the same way. He parried the attack and retaliated with a whirlwind attack that she also blocked. She unexpectedly kicked him in the chest, causing him to fall back. He rolled away as she brought her blade down and got back to his feet.

"So that's how you wish to play?" he grinned menacingly. He thrusted his sword towards her body but she moved aside and attacked vertically. She caught his upper arm while he moved out of the way, only making a small cut. He completely ignored it, mesmerized by his own hunger for power, and attacked diagonally. She parried and forced the blade away with her own, then thrusting her sword towards him. He jumped aside, slightly alarmed and was cut severely but not threateningly on his waist. He then horizontally attacked at the back of her knee while dodging and while she recovered from her attack.

She cried out in pain and fell to her knees, bleeding gruesomely. He had cut the tendon that allowed her to move her knee.

"Prometheus!" Kazna shouted in panic through the crack of the door. She turned, distracted, and was shocked to see her student present.

"Kazna!" she knew death was certain, now that she couldn't move. "Get out of here, you fool!"

"You shouldn't turn you back on your opponent." she heard from behind her. "You've wasted enough of my time, your death will prove my strength."

She saw death flash before her as he cut most of her head off by the neck, leaving only a small piece of flesh to hold her head and body together yet. Her lifeless body slumped over and continued to bleed all over the floor.

"You were nothing special." Apollo wiped his sword with her jacket and sheathed it.

Kazna stared with horrified eyes. But this day, he stared at Phoenix with enraged eyes.

"You were there when she died." Phoenix said, his expression much softer than Kazna remembered before. It was almost sympathetic.

Kazna walked up to Phoenix. "I have been hunting you ever since that day." he smirked. "The ecstasy and anticipation I feel now cannot be described easily."

"Do the other Freed Minds give you nothing else to do?" he said, emotionless.

"I care not for the others. I forsake my duties now as you did when you killed her."

"I am changed now." Phoenix said, meeting his eyes from his shoes. "I fight for the Underground and not for myself as I once did."

"Nothing but death could change the mind of someone like you, Apollo." he smiled. "Don't make me laugh."

"And thus, here we are." he loosely held open his arms and briefly looked around the room. "Apollo died by his greed for power. I forsake that name and I am now Phoenix."

"Don't bore me with such stories." Kazna frowned. "No one can cheat death."

"What about Neo?" he said back. Kazna silenced. "Was he not reborn?"

"You..." he growled. "I don't... I won't believe you. It doesn't matter. This time, I will not be held back!"

Phoenix didn't respond for a moment. "...If I must fight, I shall."

Kazna drew his blade, pleased. "I have dreamed of this day..." he smiled.

He too drew his sword. "Then I shall apologize ahead of time for crushing it."

TBC


	8. Chapter 7

The Underground

Story Form By Panda (altered)

Originally by Nate Docken

Chapter 7: The Final Sword

((Under construction, Im sorry! Will be posted some other time. I'll give you a summary:

It's about the battle between Kazna and Phoenix... and they basically end up stabbing each other and become too weak to fight each other.))


	9. Chapter 8

The Underground

Story Form By Panda (altered)

Originally by Nate Docken (In the format of a script)

Chapter 8: The Cycle of Life

The two lied in the grass, which was not really grass, and took their final breaths of life, but they were not actually breathing. The grass and air was both a part of the non-existent world. The fresh scent of air, which was not actually air, calmed their restless souls and eased their suffering, which was not actual pain but mental pain.

They died at the same moment, their heartbeats abruptly coming to a stop. Their souls had left their body, leaving them both empty and hollow. They were nothing now, and would be disposed of within due time.

A small shower of rain, which was not real rain, passed by, washing away the blood that was not actually there. The forecast for the weather, in the world where weather didn't exist, was scattered showers.

A woman, who didn't exactly exist there, walked slowly towards the small grassy area. A sudden strong wind, which was actually not strong but air that didn't exist, passed by, lifting her hair and clothes as if gravity did not exist. But gravity in that world was not real.

"Kazna?..." Iris was shaking in fear for her love. "Kazna! It is you!" she ran to his body. "Kazna! No... you're not dead! You can't be! You promised me that we would prevail together!" she cried, and continued crying.

She felt something cold press against her head and heard a soft click.

"...Did you kill him?" a cold, stiff voice said.

"What are you talking about?" she hadn't the slightest idea who it was. She couldn't see the person either, because she was behind her.

"Did you kill Phoenix?" the person shouted. "Did you?"

The voice was becoming more clear now... but she had only heard them perhaps once or twice. Her memories were drowning in her own grief.

"I did not," Iris replied. "But we were going to, and it looks like he, at least, finally achieved his vengeance..." she was happy for him. Happy that his vengeance was put to rest. But she asked herself, _would I have been happier with him alive, still full of vengeance... or have him dead with his revenge fulfilled?..._

...But that moment was not the right time to ask such a question. She could not let her grieving get herself killed. She would continue to live. She knew that that was what her love would have wanted. She closed her eyes and concentrated.

"Then you killed him as much as he did..." the voice quivered slightly. "...You killed my love."

"And he killed mine." she replied, slowly and unnoticeably moving her hand.

"May death reunite you both." the person said. "Goodbye."

Iris suddenly spun around and batted her arm away with her dagger. The girl backed away, holding her bleeding arm.

"It's you!" Iris snarled. She recalled her on her spy missions. "Why am I not surprised?"

Kalia pointed the gun back up but Iris knocked her arm aside again with her own gun. But both quickly recovered by pointing it at each other's faces.

They stared each other down in silence for several moments before both taking a step back. Kalia then shoved Iris's arm away with her other hand, but Iris did the same to her. She recovered the quickest and lifted her gun again but Iris batted it away again before she could fire. This continued back and forth for a minute before Kalia hit Iris's wrist with her gun. She dropped it but grabbed her dagger again and cut Kalia's wrist, making her drop her own gun. They both then jumped back in alarm, both holding their own wrists.

They both stood ten feet away from their guns, both eyeing it occasionally while watching each other's movements. Unexpectedly, they both dove for their guns at the same time. They both caught it at the same time and aimed it at each other at the exact same second.

But unconsciously they had both grabbed the other's gun. Kalia noticed it first and swore to herself for letting her own gun go. She then ducked low and dove towards Iris and while passing her, she turned her body around upwards and shot at her. She landed hard on her shoulder and skidded in the grass but only grazed Iris's shoulder.

Iris ignored it, turning around and shooting at her while she rolled to the side to recover. Kalia flipped backwards to stand up and fired at her again. She grazed her arm and missed the next two shots. Iris shot back a couple times, catching only the hem of her skirt and jacket. Kalia then ducked and dove at her side again but instead of turning and firing, she flipped herself over, doing a full cartwheel and ended up behind her. She pointed the gun to her head.

Iris spun herself around quickly as she had dove and batted her arm away before she could fire. She lifted her gun but Kalia did the same. They did this back and forth for a moment before Iris grabbed the wrist Kalia held her gun in and spun back, pinning her arm to her back.

Kalia slumped over slightly and fired upwards. Iris quickly moved aside her head but the bullet grazed her right cheek, eyelids and eyebrow. She yelped and backed away, holding the right side of her face.

Kalia spun around and aimed at her. She glared threateningly and fired, but only heard a soft click. She fired a couple more times but nothing happened. As she reached for the bullets in her pocket, Iris charged in with her dagger. Kalia attempted to move aside but caught the side of her waist. She dropped her gun.

She screamed in agony as she backed away, the dagger still protruding from her waist. She pulled it out but as she did, Iris aimed her gun at her and fired. The first shot hit deep into her shoulder but the others did nothing. She was out of bullets as well.

"Damn it!" she searched for a bullet case on her. Kalia grabbed her gun from her hand and jumped back. While releasing the bullet case from her own gun, forced it at her by swinging her gun. It hit hard on Iris's forehead and caused her to give her a deadly look. Iris grabbed her own gun, and at the same time, they both reloaded and fired at each other once, both missing.

Her every inch of movement shot pain throughout her body but shoved continued to shove Iris's arm away as they back and forth attempted to aim at each other's heads. Kalia, as she moved aside her arm again, held onto the arm and brought her own gun down to it. She fired right through her wrist, breaking it.

Iris swore loudly and dropped her gun. While eyeing her wrist she noticed her dagger and quickly ducked to retrieve it. As she headed for her throat, Kalia aimed her gun up at her chin. They had each other caught.

They stared each other down, both glaring in the most evil manner possible. Kalia suddenly had a horrified look and brought her hand to her mouth as blood gagged her. She forcefully drooled blood from her mouth and coughed, but didn't take her eyes off of Iris. She grinned tauntingly as she watched her suffer.

The two suddenly heard footsteps coming by. The familiar black and white suit and dark sunglasses glaring from the evening sunshine.

"Shit, Agents!" Iris said. They both distractedly lowered their weapons. Iris turned around to run and pulled out her cell phone to call her operator for an exit. Kalia, on the other hand shifted her aim towards them.

"God damn it! Go away!" she screamed madly.

"Why do you hesitate?" Agent Robinson asked boldly. "Shoot the Freed Mind... hold up your end of the bargain."

"Or we will take action." a scowl twisted across his face.

"I said go away! This is between us!" she fired at the Agents as she ran off into the city. She left a long trail of blood on her way out.

She ran through the city, ignoring the traffic and shoving aside anyone that stood in her way. She ran until her legs gave out, and dragged herself into a dark alleyway. She sat leaned against the wall and didn't realize it but closed her eyes as her life slowly began to seep away.

TBC


	10. Chapter 9

The Underground

Story Form By Panda (altered)

Originally by Nate Docken

Chapter 9: Endless Lives

The Agents each walked up to a different body lying in the grass. They examined their death before turning back to each other. They both had a questionable expression.

"What does this mean?" Agent Norton asked in a tone with a slight hint of curiosity.

"This means that the temporary truce had been called off." Agent Robinson replied glancing back at Phoenix. "Everyone is fair game to each other now, and the Underground is in ruin."

Norton nodded ever so slightly. "This one escaped death once, but not twice."

"It would seem he has nothing left to live for, or he is content with his time alive." he replied, followed by an odd grin from both of them.

"You have our orders?" Norton asked, still grinning.

"Yes, and it is being carried out." Robinson replied with a nod. "It seems they liked the idea of the Underground, yet they felt that Sinis was not the right leader for such an organization."

"So it shall begin soon..."

"And I shall anticipate that."

"What of the other?" they both peered back at Kazna.

"We're not quite sure yet..." Robinson frowned. "However, it seems that they were interested in him, too. He had been backed up as well, but he is being transferred to another shell. Let us hope that the anomaly that caused Phoenix to be reborn does not occur again, though it is a high possibility at will."

"If that were to occur once again... then there would be two of them?" Norton turned back to him.

"Yes."

Norton smiled once again. "That will be intriguing..."

"Undoubtedly."

They both chuckled in an inhuman manner.

"So what are our current duties?" Norton asked.

"Now, we stick with our primary objective." Robinson gave him a familiar look. "Seek and destroy the virus known as humans. These events concerning these two won't happen for a while. Although, the relationship between these two does bring cause to be concerned..."

They both looked back at Phoenix, then walked another direction to carry out their work. Noticeably, the image of both Phoenix and Kazna's bodies began to blur oddly as the machines scanned and saved their data.

To be continued...


	11. Epilogue

The Underground

Story Form By Panda (altered)

Originally by Nate Docken (In the format of a script)

Epilogue: Resurrection

A few months after Kazna and Phoenix had killed each other, the Agents began their new plans. Several of them gathered around as they began to recover a lost life. In the middle of the street that had closed off to prepare, blurs of static began to take a form of a body. Agent Norton and Robinson smiled pleased.

"Welcome back." Agent Robinson said.

"How do you feel?" Agent Norton asked.

The man looked at him blankly, almost glaring. He peered around himself at the other Agents, then down at his hands and body... as if he was checking if he was the real deal. He turned back to the Agents and grinned like them.

"Like a new man." he replied.

"Your people await for your arrival," said Agent Robinson. "Phoenix."

He stared at them before chuckling. "Then shall we?" he moved past between the two Agents and walked into the crowd of them. They parted a path for him as he headed to the Underground head quarters.

Elsewhere, the Agents had disposed of Kazna's body and buried him in a graveyard as an unidentified burn victim. But not long after Phoenix had risen again, his body began to move again unconsciously. His eyes suddenly shot open and he attempted to sit up. He hit his head on the coffin top and fell back down.

He swore and looked around in the darkness. He couldn't see anything. He screamed and pounded on the coffin top. He finally punched a small hole in it and felt dirt come sprinkling down. He growled in rage.

He broke the hole bigger and stuffed some of the dirt in the back of the coffin to make some room to dig through. He finally reached his hand above the surface and wormed his way upwards. After he dug half his body out, he pulled himself up onto the grass and brushed himself off. A small family crowded around a gravestone two graves away stared in fear.

After brushing off the dirt, he walked away as if the family wasn't there. He walked to the edge of the graveyard, a cliff overlooking the city, and howled Phoenix's name.

The machines, unaware of Kazna's awakening, created another by planting his data into a fresh grown shell. Ironically, he was drawn into the very city where the Underground's head quarters was and built a life there. His name was different, his appearance was slightly different, and his personality was changed. Only his familiar face remained plastered on the new built body.

To be continued...


End file.
